


Unfailing Precision

by Kirabaros



Series: Call of Duty Black Ops [3]
Category: Call of Duty (Video Games), Call of Duty: Black Ops - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Family/Friends, Military, Missions, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 12:11:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16953774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: Menendez got what he deserved, but as Spectre points out, the world keeps turning. Time doesn't sit still and for David "Section" Mason, it's moving forward with surgical precision as he and fellow SEALs and Special Forces go in to take out the threats to the world. Join Section and Torres on an all new adventure that takes them to the heart of cartel country in Michoacan to take out a powerful drug lord. They still execute precision even when SHTF and possibly goes FUBAR and still manage to lead their own lives.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired in part by the current story arc of SEAL Teams.

_Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail. – Navy SEAL code_

_We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us. – Winston Churchill_

The room was bathed in semidarkness, but the heat could be felt. The humidity made sweat cling to the skin and everything felt sticky. It certainly wasn’t the paradise that Jackson Bennett imagined when he went in on this assignment. He certainly didn’t expect to run into an unexpected snag. Now, he was sitting in a rickety chair and being yelled at in what he assumed was Arabic.

His interrogator was glaring at him, literally growling. And all because Jackson refused to give the information that was being ‘asked.’ Jackson shook his head with a wry grin on his face as he looked up at his interrogator, “You know mate, hitting does not get the results.”

The response was a punch across the face. Jackson moved with it to disperse the force of the blow but wasn’t going to break. He chuckled and looked at the man that just punched him. He was vaguely amused when his chin was grabbed, and he was forced to look at his captor as he said, “You will tell me everything you know.”

Jackson glanced over at the other person that had been interrogated huddled against the wall, arms raised above their head and tied up. He turned his eyes towards the man glaring at him and his gaze became hard. The timing had to be fucking right. He said, “As I said you wanker, fuck off.” He continued before the man could say anything. “Of course, you’re gonna be in trouble in about a good solid minute… maybe sooner.”

As soon as he said that, there was an explosion and the wall blew inward, creating a hole. The guards in the room were disoriented. One may have popped off a couple of rounds, but they were taken out with precision. The interrogator pulled out a pistol and put it against Jackson’s temple and all he could do was taunt, “Your doom buddy.”

Sure enough, the men that entered were ready to kill. They stared at the situation with an impassive look. The interrogator must have thought that they would hesitate. The leader didn’t. He raised his gun and fired a single shot, a head shot. The interrogator fell over and Jackson looked at it like it was nothing new to him. He looked back at the team that entered and was finishing clearing, his sights centering on the leader and sighed in annoyance, “You sure took your sweet time.” He grinned when the team leader came forward and revealed his face. “Next time you be the bait, Section.”


	2. Chapter 1

_Citlalli, Michoacán_

The village was like one of hundreds in the countryside of Mexico or out in the middle of nowhere near the highways. It gave a feeling of isolation at times but it was fairly close to the capital of the state, so people could get things that they couldn’t readily produce on their own. It was quaint and small, and no one seemed to bother anyone there and it looked like you wouldn’t expect anything to go wrong there considering there were occasionally tourists there.

Oscar Trujillo knew that it wasn’t so.

Citlalli was a quaint and peaceful looking village, but it held dark secrets and Oscar knew about them. He knew what went on in that little village, the deaths, the violence, the bloodshed… he knew it all. He knew that it was one of the major centers of distribution and operations of Nicolás Castellano de Huerta, member of the La Familia Michoacán cartel. Well, he was until he broke away and formed his own.

Now it was even bigger than La Familia in the sense that de Huerta managed to quietly oust the parenting cartel. The usual methods worked like violence and killing those that wouldn’t stand with him, but de Huerta was also cunning, using businesses, legitimate ones, to gain a foothold. It bolstered his reputation even more when he did more for the people in the local villages.

Most cartel members disregarded the smaller villages simply because they were small and not worth the effort. De Huerta took advantage of that and his drug empire grew. It was his primary business despite the fact that he had his hands in more legal enterprises. He didn’t tolerate competition and shut down anyone who tried to shut down his business. The proof was in the news with the bodies reported and often swept under the rug.

Since 2006, there has been a war between the cartels and the Mexican government. Oscar knew that the federales had little to no power. Really, who could argue with the fact that the cartels did more for the average person like building schools, getting clean water… the basics that the government couldn’t or wouldn’t do because of politics. Unfortunately, it sealed the fate of children born into the villages and cities that serviced the cartels. They ended up becoming members and the cycle kept repeating. It really was no different than the gang lifestyle in the Unites States or extremists in other parts of the world. Rinse and repeat was the way of the world at times.

Oscar had been sent in to try and infiltrate the de Huerta cartel in an attempt to gather intel. It would then be used to send in the operators to take him out. It sounded easy on paper, but in reality, it was a careful tightrope act of gaining trust and sacrificing a piece of your soul to appear to be what they were. The trick was to remember who you were before it went too far. That was the hard part. The part that had him question who he was time and time again.

_How do you do it?_

It was a question he asked himself ever since he first asked it of the one who said he’d be the best one to do this job. He never thought he’d be able to do this job when he was picked out of a handful of qualified DEA agents. He was the most rookie and he was picked. That moment terrorized him, but he stepped up and for two years he had been doing this job, supplying intel.

Today he was to make his usual drop to his contact and pick up any instructions. It was a system that had worked well during this assignment, but lately Oscar had suspicions that things were changing. The atmosphere was changing; a shift was being made and it seemed that the Nicolás was becoming more suspicious of his men. And he had reason to be.

Part of the intel allowed the federales to step in and take out the smaller distributions. It was small fry compared to de Huerta. The little hits were like pinpricks but when you got enough of them, it would start to hurt. Oscar sensed that they had done enough, and it was going to really put the pressure on things. He didn’t show it as he walked into the small restaurant that he frequented. He greeted the waitress in Spanish and took his usual seat.

As an undercover, you had to firmly believe in the life that you are assuming so that you are that person. The person existed on paper, but you had to make it believable. That meant establishing routines and habits that were unique to the cover. For him, it was eating regularly at this particular restaurant. It was always the same thing, but never the same time each week. It helped enforce the paranoia and he happened to build rapport with the owners and they catered to his whims. And it helped that he threw the whole being in the cartel to make him seem intimidating.

“The usual, señor.”

Oscar walked to his usual table. It was in a place where he could surveillance the whole room and ease of access to the kitchen. He gave a nod and sat down. He didn’t need a menu since it was always the same thing. He glanced around. The place was pretty empty for the time of day. It was most unusual, and it sent a feeling of unease down his spine.

Glancing around, he searched for the owners. He saw the old man that owned the place. Normally, he had a slight hint of fear because of his ties to the cartel. Seeing him now, Oscar was struck with the feeling that there was something more going on. He didn’t see the owner’s wife and she was usually out being hospitable despite the fact that the cartel ruled the place. He remembered her saying that she had something about maintaining good manners no matter what or something like that.

Being suspicious, Oscar asked in Spanish, “Where is your wife, old man?”

The owner gave a polite smile and replied, “She had to go to the market. We ran out of chilis.”

Oscar wasn’t fooled for a moment. He noted the way how the owner behaved. He was jittery, like he was being forced to do something and if he didn’t comply… Oscar cleared his throat and pushed away from the table saying, “You know I just remembered that I have some urgent business. Thank you and I apologize.”

The owner didn’t say anything, but he was still jittery. Oscar knew he was in trouble if he left himself in a place of vulnerability. He anticipated the owner trying to keep him there by insisting on him boxing up his food. Oscar shook his head and said that it wasn’t necessary while keeping an eye on the front window. Sure enough, the two trucks came up and the men that spilled out weren’t the type to be friendly.

Oscar took the chance that he might be ambushed and decided to take the back exit. He turned swiftly and headed for the kitchen while pulling out the gun he always carried on his person. He held it in his right and dangled it downward, but ready to bring it up to shoot if necessary. He kept it down since he didn’t want to alarm the kitchen staff more than necessary and moved like he belonged there even though it was clear that he didn’t.

There was a loud thump in the dining room followed by angry Spanish demanding where he was. Oscar picked up the pace and exited the kitchen and started down the back alleyway, tempted to run but didn’t since that would alert people. There was no shortage of people waiting to sell out a person if a member of the cartel was looking for them. He had used that system before in order to gain his position with the ranks. It was low and dirty, but it was how de Huerta maintained the loyalty of the people. It was through fear and rewarding those who did his bidding.

Oscar managed to make it to the marketplace but was well aware that de Huerta’s men would be looking for him. He slowed his pace to blend into the crowd like he was looking for something in particular from the market. He had been there plenty of times, so he didn’t necessarily stand out, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t give him up. He did have a few people he could trust, but it was a matter of getting to them without bringing too much trouble to them.

There was a sort of safe bet, but it wasn’t a guarantee. That was the church. It was kind of ironic or… he wasn’t sure of what he thought about it… but it was contradictory that the cartel members were devoted to the church. They funded, they went to mass, and said confession. They even got their last rites when they were dying. It was a kind of thing to make someone angry about it since the cartel members dealt in drugs and killed. Then again was it any different when soldiers or law enforcement did the same?

Oscar thought about the church as a possibility and the padre there was a no nonsense type. If he asked for sanctuary, the padre would give it and tell it to de Huerta’s men. Oscar thought the padre had a pair on him since he had seen de Huerta’s men shoot those that said no to the cartel. Sinaloa was brutal with their dissidents. It was brutal here and he was stuck in the middle of it and could be one of those statistics.

Oscar made his way to where the flowers where being sold and was about to maneuver to disappear when someone he knew very well appeared in front of him. He was tempted to raise his weapon and fire, but there was the possibility of retaliation against the crowd and most of them were innocents. So, he didn’t raise his weapon.

“I had a feeling you would be here, Oscar.”

Oscar was behind a stand, so his weapon couldn’t be seen. He wasn’t going to chance it though. He replied, “I decided to bring some flowers to the church. The padre mentioned it and I decided today would be a good day for confession. I didn’t expect you to be here, Nikolás.”

Nikolás de Huerta looked at Oscar with a bemused expression that often meant a deadly outcome. “And I didn’t expect to come down here, Oscar. I wanted to speak with you, but you were not in your usual place.”

Oscar moved slightly to hide his weapon. He couldn’t afford to put himself in a worse position. He moved slowly to examine a set of flowers. “I sometimes change my mind. We are allowed to do so.”

“Agreed, but I need you to change it again and come with me.”

Oscar looked at Nikolás and heard the commanding tone. He knew that there was no escape. If he did, it would only confirm that he wasn’t who he had said he was, and he would be executed. If he didn’t, he might be at the end of a rope and disemboweled or something worse. One was certain, and the other wasn’t. He was screwed either way. He swallowed slightly and gave a nod of acquiescence and moved slowly to what his fate was going to be.

****

“Man, Crumpets. That looks fucking nasty.”

Jackson turned from where he was studying his blackened eye. It was swollen, but nothing like what boxers could get. Still it was nasty as Harper said and Jackson felt he was going to be put under the ringer when they got home. He replied, “Yeah and whose fault is that?”

Harper chuckled and held up his hands in mock surrender, “Hey, I’m not the one that mouthed off to a terrorist. That’s on you, buddy.”

“Screw you, wanker,” Jackson retorted as he grabbed an ice pack. He cracked it and shook it to get the stuff working before putting it on his eye. “You bastards were fucking late.”

“Price for putting the tracker on an unconventional place,” Crosby said, joining in on the ribbing.

It was often a source of entertainment, picking on and poking fun on the British special forces soldier that had been attached to their team since the whole thing with Raul Menendez. Jackson, for his part, took it in good humor since he had peculiar phrases and mannerisms that elicited raised brows. It was a sign of liking him and he had proven his worth watching the team leader’s back and helping nab Menendez.

Jackson narrowed his good eye at Crosby since the other one was covered. He couldn’t argue that. It was part of their plan, but… “And who the hell thought it was a good idea for me to be captured?”

“Don’t you know?” Harper wrapped his arm around Jackson’s shoulders while giving a good natured punch to him. “You always have the short straw, Crumpets. You’re the FNG on this team.”

“Limey bastard,” Jackson muttered. He wasn’t pissed. Annoyed, yes, but it was all part and parcel of being a part of the team. “Next time I vote someone else. I don’t need two black eyes. Because I’m _not_ going to try and explain it to _her._ ”

Everyone froze slightly at Jackson’s emphasis. They knew who he was referring to and the team grew unusually quiet before they started murmuring and started settling down while their flight made its way back to the states. Jackson walked over and took his usual seat and leaned back against the bulkhead with the pack on his eye.

“That was low, Jacks.”

Jackson didn’t turn to look but replied in his soft Manchester accent, “Aye, and you know that it’s true, Section.”

David looked at his British friend and nodded in agreement. He really couldn’t disagree since he knew what she was like when something happened to the team and stupidity was the cause. Or she was quick to call it stupidity even if it was a legitimate move. “She’s worse than Spectre was when she was expecting.”

“Spectre is scary no matter what,” Jackson corrected with a slight tinge of fear in his voice. “I once saw her make the director of MI6 go speechless and to stop swearing.”

“She did that with Briggs you know,” David bumped Jackson on his shoulder. He grinned in good humor when Jackson moaned and let his friend relax. They were going to have plenty to hear about when they got in.

Thinking about it, David turned his attention to his wrist console. He tapped a few keys and pulled up the last couple of photos that had been taken. One was of his daughters playing with a very familiar looking dog panting happily. He remembered when that was taken and resisted giving a slight eye roll since he was always at odds with the dog.

Things had been good the past few months. He was happy, happier than he had been in a long time. He flipped the image to the next one and his lip twitched again, and he rolled his eyes slightly. The damn dog was licking him in the face and the girls were laughing their heads off. He shook his head at the fact that she messed with his wrist console again and uploaded the photos. He wasn’t upset about it really since he did carry pictures of his girls in his console that he brought out when on long deployments. It certainly helped when trying to catch rack time.

“Got a new pet?”

David glanced at Jackson. He wasn’t looking at him since he had his eye covered with an ice pack, but he seemed to know what was going on. He replied, “Shut up, Jacks. You know that it’s JSOC.”

Jackson chuckled and lowered the hand with the ice pack. He grinned as he looked at David. It actually didn’t look too bad since he had been icing it since getting checked out after rescuing their HVP. The cuts from getting punched and being manhandled weren’t bad either. He certainly got a few licks in on this one. He glanced at the current picture that David had been looking at. “Still can’t believe that the mutt’s name is named after your counterterrorism unit,” he chuckled.

David made a sound at that and replied, “She named him by accident.”

“Right.”

“It was an accident,” David countered, trying not to laugh. The whole thing was funny really. It still baffled people how a trained MWD who had a different designation responded to a new one like it was nothing. “It is kind of funny since sometimes you can’t be sure if it’s the dog or HQ being talked about.”

“No doubt. Can’t imagine a bloody dog being called SAS or Credenhill or something like that,” Jackson replied chuckling. “We’d definitely be in trouble.”

David laughed with him as he adjusted his position to catch some shut eye. “It’s not so bad.”

Jackson hummed at that. He watched as David settled in for the flight back to the states. He gave a slight smile, happy that his friend, not to mention CO, was happy. Ever since the whole thing with Menendez, things had been looking up. Even with all the rioting that started and protests… Things were looking good and Jackson was happy that some people were catching a break.

David slouched, trying to get comfortable in his seat. They had a long flight and he needed to catch a few hours. Ops didn’t always go as smoothly as this one. An operator grabbed rack time when they could. Sometimes they functioned on as little as three hours of sleep. Once David went without sleep for a couple of days. It wasn’t the best thing but when you were faced with a constant threat… sleep was evasive. The flights to and from op locations were the times to grab what you could. It gave a whole new meaning to the word power nap.

David adjusted his position to view his wrist console to allow himself to drop off. He scrolled through his pictures. He was surprised that a few of him and his dad were on it. He wondered how she managed to find them and put them on since some of them were when he was seven. He hummed to himself as he continued to scroll through them until he got to one that had him pause. It had him stare at it for a few minutes as he recalled the circumstances behind it and he smiled. He couldn’t wait to get home.

A beeping sound caught his attention followed by, _Section, you have an incoming call._

David muttered, “No shit, Hickam.”

_Only letting you know. I am well aware that you value your rack time._

“Considering we grab it when we can,” David retorted, well aware that he looked like he was talking to himself, but the team was used to it. They knew that he was talking to the AI that was attached to the team through their lifeline in terms of intel.

David tried not to roll his eyes at the persistent beeping while he moved to find a semi private area on the transport to talk. He had a pretty good idea who it was and it was someone who never failed to remind him that he was the team leader. They were the first to show up and the last to leave pretty much. He figured it was timed so he would have to strain to be polite.

Once he found a spot, he clicked the accept button, “I suppose I can’t complain about needing beauty sleep. What do you need, Spectre?”

_Not a matter of what I need, but just checking up on you. I read the AARs._

“You fucking got those already?”

_We’re in the digital age, David. And you know people that are good with computers._

David made a slight face, glad that it was on audio only. Then he would have gotten a scolding about the face he was making. “You being one of them and the other… I don’t want her pissed off at me that she messes with my bank account.”

_As long as things are fine._

“They’re working out,” David allowed. He cleared his throat and turned the conversation back to why his old friend was calling. “Is there a reason why you called, Ryan?”

_Like I said. I read the AARs and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Apart from Jacks, there were notations of injuries._

David made a slight noise and moved his sleeve to look at the bandage that had been put on his forearm. He had been lucky with that one and it was a scratch. A deep one but nothing like cut muscle or torn tendons kind of thing. “I’m okay. Training came in handy and… I let the bastards have it. The HVP made it out fine.”

_I know. It’s what you frogmen do best. What any spec ops groups does._

“You’re just saying that because you married a Brit.”

_He’s Scottish, David. And you looked south of the border. Way down south._

David felt the blush rise on the back of his neck. His friend knew the score and was clever in rubbing it in. Rather, she took it in a stride and only said that if things went FUBAR there would be hell to pay. He took that seriously and tried his best and then some. What his training as a SEAL and their credo carried, he adapted it to his personal life as well. He replied, “It’s been nice. Warm sea breezes and hints of typhoons.”

_You’re getting better, David. I’m glad you guys are okay._

“It’s what we do.”

_I know. How are things going at the home fires? Last I heard involved a dog, a trip to London and an adventure of some sort._

David made a slight face at that. “Something like that. Like I said, warm sea breeze with an occasional typhoon warning. Learning to read the sea.”

_And the water is a SEALs’ home._

David chuckled along with his friend. It was just a welfare call and he didn’t mind at all. It put into perspective that family wasn’t just about blood. Hell, he could go into that since Woods raised him and in the military, it was about the man next you watching your back and you watched his. His team was a family and it had a chance to grow. It made him appreciate what he was coming home to.


	3. Chapter 2

The VTOL lowered to the deck for the team to disembark. They were already on their feet and ready to disembark. They were chattering about anything and everything like the girlfriends or wives or what that were planning on doing now that they were back. David listened to the murmuring as he stood ready with his gear bag on his shoulder.

His chat with Spectre wasn’t overly long. It was more reassurance. They were close friends brought together by his request and the whole thing did put to rest some ghosts of the past. Not only for him, but for others and it opened a door for him. Granted it was rough, it was pretty good. He smiled as he thought about what was waiting.

The hum of the VTOL cued him to pull out his sunglasses and he held them ready. The doors were sliding open and he put them on since they were facing the sun. He squinted a little and saw that his CO was standing there waiting for them. Of course, business came first meaning a debrief. He gave a slight salute of acknowledgement as he descended the ramp. “General Hendrix.”

“Section.”

After Admiral Briggs had been wounded, Section’s team moved back to Virginia and placed under command of a new CO. General Martin Hendrix was a Marine and tolerated no funny business. He was understanding, but he enforced protocol and regs. It made it difficult the first few months, but he and the general had a pretty good working relationship. They didn’t always see eye to eye on things, but they were all about getting the job done.

Coming to stand in front of the general, David looked at the man and gave the proper salute, “Mission success, sir. HVP was recovered and alive and well.”

“Good to know,” General Hendrix replied with a slight grin. He glanced over as the rest of the team descended and added, “Considering one took one for the team.”

David turned to look over and saw Jackson walking with the others. His black eye was obvious in the bright sunlight and he was making no effort to hide it. They were all sporting cuts and bruises, but the Brit was the one being obvious. He turned to look back at the general to see the slight smirk and he replied, “Well initial extraction didn’t work out as planned, sir. We had to adapt and move to plan B.”

General Hendrix nodded, “And it worked out as you said. Good work, Section.” He gave David a slight pat on the back of his shoulder.

David nodded, “Thank you sir.”

“Debriefing in thirty,” the general replied. He turned and started to head back in. He paused and glanced back at David and added with a raised brow, “Thirty minutes exactly, Commander.”

David didn’t say anything but swallowed slightly. He was never sure that the general knew about it, but always seemed that he did. If he did, then David could count his blessings since there were certain to be repercussions if things got out. He raised his brow slightly and watched the man leave while trying to puzzle out this continuing conundrum.

“Best not to think too hard about it, brother.”

David shifted as Harper draped an arm over his shoulders. It was pointless to, but he did it anyway, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Harper chuckled at that, “Don’t even try, man. You, me and Jacks know about your… you know.”

David made a slight sound in his throat. “That obvious?”

“To us, but to everyone else, like close buddies,” Harper answered honestly, “Except when you were an ass those few weeks.”

David made another sound at that. No one was going to let him live that down. General Hendrix thought it was family issues since timing wise it was about right, and David rolled with that. It was his personal friends that knew the truth. He cleared his throat and said, “I don’t know. The general always gives me a look every time he tells me how much time before debrief.”

Harper was thoughtful about it as they started walking. That did seem unusual and it sounded close to setting up an ambush to catch his friend. “Don’t know, man, but be careful about it.”

“I know. Could make life hell. For her.”

“And you.”

“Not me I’m worried about.”

Harper grinned and barked a laugh. He gave a hard pat to David’s back that would have sent anyone not his friend stumbling forward. “Man, you’ve got it bad.” He patted David’s shoulder hard again and strode forward to catch up with the others shouting, “Hey Crumpets!”

“I don’t do tea you damn wanker!”

David hummed as he followed them. He adjusted the gear on his shoulder. It was his personal gear. The heavy stuff would be handled by the logistics officer and then the team would spend an hour or so cleaning and putting it away. He had work to do before he got home. Whoever said patience was a virtue was seriously on something.

“I see you still manage to raise hell without me.”

David paused and turned in the direction of the voice. He saw her in the doorway to some office. Probably the one she used or was doing her intel work for Spectre. He couldn’t help the grin that turned into a full blow smile as he shortened the distance between them, aware that she had moved backwards into the office to allow for some privacy.

Once the door was shut, he dropped his bag and grabbed her around the waist into a tight hug and swung her around. He felt her arms wrap around his neck to hold on and return the hug. Setting her down on her feet, he took a breath as he touched his forehead to hers. “I missed you, Simone,” he muttered as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Simone Torres accepted the kiss but made a sound that also sounded like a huff and replied, “We see each other pretty much every day.”

David pulled back gave her a gentle smile. His hands came to settle on her hips, his thumbs tracing the top of her pants. “True, but when you don’t come with us… it’s different. I like being with you,” he said in a soft tone as he pressed a kiss to her lips.

Torres accepted the kiss and permitted him entry as he deepened it. She tightened her grip around his neck, pulling him in while standing on tip toe. Her hands moved to cradle his head and her fingers found their way into his hair. She moaned when his hands slid upwards to caress her body and cup her shoulder blades. She pulled away for air and hummed, “Okay, I missed you too.”

“I know you did,” David countered as he moved in to try and capture her lips again.

It was unexpected when she avoided it completely and grabbed him in a hug. He felt her breathe a sigh of relief on his neck as she clung to him. He was a bit puzzled, but it didn’t stop him from tightening his own grip around her. He adjusted his head to hear her whisper, “I’m so glad that you’re home. This one…”

David hummed and lowered his head into the crook of her neck more. While they joked about it being nothing, there had been a couple of close calls. They had been outnumbered and the op ended going sideways. The sideways being that Jackson was taken with the HVP and was beaten and would eventually have been executed. Plus, he knew that she worried when she wasn’t closer to oversee operations. More so now that they were dating.

“At least you all made it back.”

David pulled back to look at Torres, noting her olive toned skin, the almond shape of her hazel green eyes, the dark, thick lashes till his gaze diverted to her bow shaped, pink lips. She didn’t need lipstick, but she used a lip balm that shined them up. He reached up and ran a finger through her dark hair, curling it to run the back of his finger gently down the side of her face. He replied, “It’s what I aim to do every time, Mone. Do the job and get everyone home.”

Torres looked up at David, smiling at his pet name for her. He had tried a few, the worst being he tried calling her ‘Sofie’ and she punched him in the shoulder. After that, he asked what her brothers or any friends called her. When he came up with ‘Mone’ she had to think about it. She was sold when he called her that in the tone he reserved just for her. She smiled at him, running her fingers through his hair and answered, “I know. You are good at what you do.”

“I’ve gotten better since meeting you.”

“Before or after you had me rope down with you while a freeway was collapsing?”

David shot her a mock glare, “More like when I first laid eyes on you and thought you were a desk jockey with those glasses of yours.” He gave an endearing smile in anticipation of her pouting. He reached in her jacket pocket and pulled them out. “These glasses.”

Torres narrowed her eyes but was smiling as he held her glasses up. They were thick frames, but stylish for her face. They were the very definition of nerdy, but she made them look good. He opened them and put them on her face and finished by tapping the tip of her nose, making it wriggle and making him chuckle, “There she is.”

“You’re lucky I like you so much,” Torres countered, pressing her finger into his chest. She smirked, not removing her glasses. She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him close for another kiss. “Otherwise I would have had JSOC do something about it,” she added with a mischievous grin as she patted his chest.

David groaned but was still smiling. He knew she was teasing him, but she could make good on her threat if she wanted to. He sighed, smiling and fingered the loose lock of hair. “Same time tonight?”

“The girls planned dinner.”

“Stay then?”

Torres smiled as she stepped away. She picked up the tablet she always carried along with some other things. She opened the door and paused to smirk at him, “We’ll see.”

David groaned as she left. He leaned against the wall and couldn’t help but smile. He checked his watch and noted he had ten minutes to get to debriefing. Picking up his gear bag, he left and went to join the team and head to briefing.

As it turned out, Torres decided to stay afterwards and was currently curled up beside him with her head on his chest. Harper would have hooted about it under the impression that something was going on. There really wasn’t. It was a desire to be in one’s company and sex wasn’t involved at all. The first time was when David snuck over to her place and climbed up to the window of her apartment that she shared with Anderson.

It was an impulse and looking back, David realized how easily it could have gone south especially with the dog. It didn’t though and it became a regular thing. Mostly when he came back from deployment or when he felt like it. He would curl up behind her and just sleep and leave in the morning. It sounded bad when voiced, but it wasn’t to them and it wasn’t like he was taking advantage of her especially after the first night she stayed over and she started on the couch at her insistence.

“I think Hendrix is onto something,” he heard her murmur.

“So it’s not just me,” he replied as he absently massaged her shoulder, amused that she was wearing an old college t-shirt and sleeping shorts.

“You were obvious. I was subtle,” Torres teased as she wrapped her arm around his torso. She paused and then asked, “Should I worry?”

David thought about it. Harper told him he was overthinking things, but he couldn’t help but worry. While she wasn’t a soldier, they were the equivalent of colleagues and that never boded well for anyone. The last thing he wanted to do was do something that would cause her to be taken away. Not so much the team but to the other side of the world like what almost happened before his daughters decided on the brilliant idea of going all the way to England by themselves to bring her back. Absently stroking her hair, David voiced, “Not worry, but aware. Just keep things professional.”

Torres had lifted herself to look at him to hear his thoughts on the matter. She stared at him as he looked at her and nodded. “Okay,” she murmured before settling back down. She sighed in contentment when he repeated his reassurance that things would be okay. She needed that now especially with the news she had received earlier and still wasn’t sure about how to tell him. She snuggled into his body, hearing him chuckle as he turned off the lights and drift off to sleep.

****

“Been awhile since I’ve seen that look, love.”

Spectre looked up from where she was musing over reports and turned to see the man that was her love and life, looking at her like she was the only woman in the world. She gave a slight smile as she replied, “Been awhile since the occasion warranted it.”

“I don’t know, lass. I’ve seen you give that look to some of the pencil pushers at Credenhill.”

Major John “Soap” MacTavish leaned against the doorframe of the room that was called the study and a favorite place for the children to play in. He smirked at his wife when her eyes narrowed dangerously at him, but didn’t flinch. To many years of the same thing and dealing with the tough times made him into the ‘hard bastard’ he had been called on many of an occasion.

Spectre looked at her husband and relented a little, “Only because I end up getting a rookie that I have to scare into doing everything right.”

Her response caused MacTavish to laugh and she allowed a small smile before turning back to what she had been reading and trying to puzzle over a decision. She heard the tread of her husband as he approached, but made no attempt to hide her work. There wasn’t a point to it since they had been through more than enough missions in black ops and dealing in secrecy. Sometimes she still marveled how they were still together since she was the spy and he was the soldier; what she called a recipe for disaster.

“Heard that Section and his unit ran into some trouble in Afghan,” MacTavish mused as he stood behind his wife. He leaned over to take a look, knowing she wouldn’t hide it from him.

“Initial plan when sideways. Plan B.”

MacTavish chuckled at that, earning a slight smack to his arm and her saying, “Not that Plan B.”

MacTavish didn’t buy it. Plan B had become a code word meaning that they shot and blasted their way in and out. It usually involved blowing something up. He looked at his wife as she vainly insisted that it wasn’t like that and replied, “Really, love?”

Spectre pouted a little before relenting, “Okay. Maybe a little bit of an explosion. But only to break in.”

MacTavish laughed at that, keeping it low since the children were asleep. He endured the scowl from his wife in good humor since she was laughing with him as well. He rubbed a hand on her shoulder and said, “That will never change, Nico. Plan B will always involve an explosion or two.”

“Tell me about it. I have to make sure the mess doesn’t get too bad.”

“You make it work out. You always do.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere you stubborn Scottish bastard.”

“Maybe with you. Stubborn arse woman.”

They chuckled before the mood sobered and Spectre lifted the tablet she was looking at. It was inevitable that she would tell him. Then again, there were little to no secrets between them. They had been in the same business for years. She pulled up what was bothering her and held it so he could see. “This is what has me looking like I’m scaring rooks into compliance.”

MacTavish took a look at what she had. He wasn’t smart in the bookish sense, but he learned enough over the years to pick up the gist of things. What he was seeing, he could understand why. He queried, “When did you find this?”

“Not too long after Menendez was killed.”

“You’ve been hanging onto it for that long?”

Spectre looked at her husband and saw the look on his face. She could tell he was torn by a few emotions. This was one of the reasons she told him it wasn’t a good idea to start a relationship with her. He accepted it though and here they were. He still had his opinions, but he gained another perspective about it. She admitted, “It was too soon.”

“You can’t protect everyone, love,” MacTavish pointed out as he wrapped an arm around her, gently massaging her shoulder.

“It wouldn’t have been fair to Simone,” Spectre explained. She shook her head and sighed, “She had already went through the big revelation that I found out long before her because of things my father set in motion.” She stopped and pursed her lips and looked away, her eyes narrowing at nothing in particular as she added with a huffed murmur, “And fucking cleaning up his mess.”

MacTavish had heard it before. He had been there when the mantle of Spectre was handed off to her from her father, the elusive Jensen. He had been there when she opened up Pandora’s Box and pushed to manipulating events to correct past mistakes and to stop the world from falling into chaos. He still had trouble believing she did that, but he was also proud of her. He saw the results of how military and government leaders reacted to her. He still found it funny that she cursed like him but forced others to be on their best behavior and not even trying.

“I inherited the mess with Menendez and learned the truth about my old TO all in a quest to help a friend.”

“And it worked out.”

“For David, yes. For Simone…” Spectre made a slight sound. She looked at the datapad and put it down on her desk and folded her hands. Sighing, she said, “She learned about a life her father was forced to keep from the world because of his job and the secret he held; the reason why they didn’t go after her.”

“But she got the truth from you. You gave her the video diary,” MacTavish pointed out.

“But not the whole picture,” Spectre replied as she looked at her husband with a worried expression. “I know she knows about certain ways. She understands compañeros very well. She has Spanish blood and her parents and brothers made the point clear. It’s why she is… entertaining when she tries to swear like me.”

“You’re the master, love.”

“Stop distracting me,” Spectre retorted giving a playful slap on MacTavish’s bicep. She sobered though and sighed again. It was becoming a habit, but this was worrisome. “Anyway, Simone is in a unique position and I did not tap her to be used by in the manner _they_ are asking for.”

MacTavish knew who she meant when she said ‘they’. Even though his wife worked for the Company when they met, she became head of an international organization that was famous in the espionage circles and like a legend. It was true that no one knew how many assets there were and with the number designations and the way things had changed… It was how his wife stayed a step ahead from being discovered. A thing that he was grateful for, but astute enough to plan ahead for contingency. Knowing her feelings, he asked, “So they know?”

“Hard not to since some assets still work for the Company.” Spectre snorted in an unladylike fashion. True she had been an agent, but she didn’t always approve of their methods. Even when she had been tapped for SP, she refused to let them dictate all the terms when it came to assignments. “And I still have to play nice. I’m just glad that there are a few people that aren’t…” She made a sound.

MacTavish hummed at that, “Have any measures been taken?”

“Surveillance. The team based in Costa Rica has eyes, monitoring. From what I gathered, a move needs to be made and I just got word from Mexico that my DEA agent is missing.”

“That one with the drug cartel?”

“Yes.”

“Think there is a connection?”

“With the cartel, it’s all about business and territory. Alliances are the key.” Spectre tapped on the computer that she had opened and pulled up a few more files.

MacTavish studied his wife. He knew that look well. He had seen it when she helped plan the ops when they were persona non grata. He had seen it before that. It sometimes scared him how her mind thought at times, but he trusted her judgement. “You have something in mind,” he stated rather than asked.

“I do, but it will rely heavily on Simone going with it.”

“It’s a good plan logically, but emotionally… you hate it.”

“You know me too well.”

MacTavish shrugged his shoulders at that. “I know that you aren’t ruthless. You consider your options and you make plays in the least likely of places. Chasing leads where none exist.”

“And look how well that went for me, for us, in the beginning.”

“We’re still here. There’s the 141, our family, Section…”

Spectre made a noise at that and looked at her husband. “Fine, you made a point. The thing is… I get the feeling that this will test them more than the Credenhill assignment.”

“Don’t give them so little credit, Nico. If you look at it… kind of was like us.”

“And that’s what worries me.”

MacTavish groaned at that as he hugged his wife. “I get the feeling that it’s different for them. Simone is the reasonable one. Like you, she will do what is right and will figure out how to keep the other parts from falling down the hole.”

Spectre looked at the screen as she listened to her husband’s words. Tactically and logically, it was the right move. Her protégé knew that since she invested time in her to learn the spy game and still be of service to the Treasury. She knew Simone was capable of pulling off what she had in mind and in so doing, taking care of a potential and rising threat. She continued to stare at the screen, reading long after her husband gave her a kiss on her cheek and went to check on their children. She pulled up the video chat knowing that it might spoil a homecoming, but the sooner they started working, the better. Plus, she had a lot of work to do to get this into place.


	4. Chapter 3

He had a tremendous headache. It felt like he had one too many tequilas and was now hungover. Oscar winced as he opened his eyes and felt the sting on the back of his head. He made a slight groan as he reached with his hand to ascertain the extent of what was causing the pain and felt the dried blood and the lump on the back of his head. Groaning, he lowered his hand and looked upwards at the ceiling.

He swallowed slightly before sitting up. He winced as he felt the pain and closed his eyes to prevent himself from getting sick. He didn’t want to show any signs of weakness by puking because of the nausea he was feeling. Taking a breath, he opened his eyes and looked around.

Judging from the furniture, he guessed that he was at Nikolás’ estate. The man had a particular taste in his furnishing, preferring the designs of where he was from. There was also some elegance attached to it, giving the subtle hints of money and power. Subtle signs to tell people who was in charge. It was intimidating, and Oscar had seen it work.

Now, he was more concerned that he was found out. It was justified since his boss’ men were the ones that gave him the bump on the back of his head while he was talking to Nikolás in the market. His thoughts went back to the proprietors of the restaurant since no doubt they had been bullied into giving up his routine and the boss probably saw through his lie in the marketplace.

Oscar slowly got to his feet to survey the room he was in. It was not like the prisoner cells that Nikolás liked to use when he was ‘interrogating’ his prisoners. This… it was more like one of the guest rooms. That had Oscar suspicious since he had been clouted on the head and he was certain that Nikolás found out about his being a spy. What reason would Nikolás want him to be comfortable? Something wasn’t right about that.

Oscar walked to the windows and tested them subtly. They weren’t sealed. He could open them if he wanted. No doubt they were watching him to do that. And they would kill him if he tried to escape. He peered through the window, looking like he was just casually surveying the landscape. In reality, he was looking for any sign of Nikolás’ men waiting for him to make a wrong move. He wasn’t seeing the sniper laser anywhere but that didn’t mean that Nikolás didn’t have a man trained on him waiting to take the shot.

Turning away from the window with a casual manner despite the fact that his head was pounding a bit, he surveyed the room to see if there was any sign that he was being watched. Nikolás liked to watch his prisoners when they were left alone. It put a crimp in the idea of escape. It didn’t stop a few bold minded individuals from trying though. They never made it, but Oscar had been impressed with the ingenuity. It was up there with some other prison escapes he knew about from history. He knew it was futile to consider an escape, but it was at the back of his mind to do so and he knew he had to.

Coming to the door, he tested it just in case it was rigged. He had seen Nikolás rig the doors on the cells to shock, maim… it was horrible. It fed into a sadistic side but justified as justice for the person for betraying him. Or the person was an enemy from a rival or someone trying to bring him down. Nikolás wasn’t afraid of the federales; none of the cartel leaders were. The federales were essentially powerless; like trying to plug in a leaky boat with glue laced with sugar.

Finding that there was nothing going to injure his person, he opened it, pushing it to let it open. Just in case there was something that was triggered from the door opening. He watched and listened and when he was certain, he slowly walked through the door, finding himself in a hall. Turning around, he realized he was in Nikolás’ manor and his eyes widened slightly.

It was also disturbing. He didn’t even see the regular presence of the bodyguards. They weren’t subtle but a visible presence. He remembered when he would visit and… Oscar turned when he heard the sound of children laughing and the sound of footsteps. He looked around until he saw them.

Call it an irony that a leader of a cartel, a murderer, dared to reproduce. Oscar had thoughts and often wondered what would happen if the children learned the horrifying truth about their parent that they idolized and adored. He had seen it and it happened when he was a kid. He grimaced at the memory of that, pushing away the guilt he still carried and looked up. He found a boy of probably five looking at him with wide eyed wonder.

Oscar had no choice but to stare at the kid and offered a timid smile. He hoped that the kid wouldn’t be freaked out from any dried blood or anything like that. If there was any. There hadn’t been any mirrors in the room, so he really couldn’t tell. He looked at the boy and spoke in Spanish in greeting, asking what his name was.

“Memo,” the boy answered.

Oscar never thought that talking to a kid might be the way to keep him alive and he toyed with the idea of escape. It made him feel disgusted since his idea meant the kid would be a human shield. He abhorred people who did that but… He kneeled and said, “Memo? That’s a cool name. How old are you?”

“Five.” The boy frowned and then asked, “Do you know my Papi?”

Oscar felt his throat convulse and would have answered, but another voice entered, coming from the direction of the staircase saying, “Of course mi hijo. He’s one of my best.”

Oscar turned to see Nikolás join them with that smile that was more predatory than loving despite the loving tones directed at his son. It only told him that he was being cordial for his son’s sake, that he wasn’t going to put his son in the line of fire. His callous side thought that maybe he could use it to his advantage, but his compassionate side said that it was unnecessary and cruel. Instead, he looked at the man who was looking at him and then at the boy and put on a slight smile, “It’s true.”

Memo looked at Oscar and then his father. Nikolás looked at Oscar still bearing that predatory look. Forcing back the alarm and fear, Oscar looked at the man that he had worked for the last few years and said, “I suppose we should go and discuss what you asked me here to discuss.”

It was a risk isolating himself, but he didn’t want to risk the boy. He may despise the man before him, but sins of the father shouldn’t be visited upon the son, especially if they don’t know the truth. It was a risk he was willing to take though. Even if they did kill him, he knew that his boss had a long reach, even in the most unconventional manner.

Nikolás stood up smiling, “Oh I don’t think that is necessary. It’s only going to be in the library and Memo likes playing in there. Don’t you, mi hijo?”

Memo smiled and yelped, “Yay!”

Oscar kept his cool. It had him suspicious of the game Nikolás was playing. It did occur to him that his boss did it because he knew that Oscar wouldn’t try something with a innocent in the room. The reputation he built within the cartel was going to be his undoing. He nodded his agreement and followed Nikolás into his library study. He took care to notice if there were any of the guards he traveled with were around.

“I try not to have too many of my men around. I see no reason to frighten my wife and children. Don’t you?” Nikolás gave a pointed look at Oscar, almost as if he were daring him to try something or challenge his assessment.

“Sounds like a responsible thing to do,” Oscar offered since an answer was expected from him. He glanced at the boy as he was playing on the floor with his toys. “There is no need for kids to know about such things.” He turned to look back at Nikolás and added, “At least until they are old enough to understand.”

Nikolás smiled as he walked over to his desk. He sat down in the chair and motioned for Oscar to take a seat in the chair reserved for guests and those that were there to conduct business. Oscar privately called it the interrogation chair and there was a reason for it. The person sitting there often got interrogated. Not always, but you felt like it after sitting in it. He had no choice but to sit in it and he did with as much grace he could.

Nikolás looked at Oscar as he steepled his fingertips while resting his elbows on his desk. He was silent for some time as he looked at the man that he knew would be best suited. It would give him a chance to truly prove his loyalty to the cartel. He didn’t want to believe the rumors he had heard, but if that were the case, he may be able to turn it to his advantage.

Oscar broke the silence, “What business do you request of me, Nikolás?”

Nikolás gave a sight smile and nodded. So, he was going to play that way. He had an idea and was curious as to how it would play out. “Do you know how difficult it is to secure one’s loyalty?”

Oscar nodded slightly, “Indeed I do. Especially when we move to new territory and oust the other leaders out. People become confused and afraid.”

“Indeed. And there are those that bide their time.” Nikolás stood up and when to where there was a bird cage. He picked up a small sack that held bird seed and poured some into the dish.  “And there are those that come because the hand is held out with what they need.”

“People have different reasons, jefe.” Oscar used the word he always used to refer to the boss. If he changed now, he could be putting more risk on himself and possibly the boy in the corner. He didn’t believe that Nikolás didn’t have his most loyal bodyguards around. He was not the type of man to take his security lightly, but he wasn’t a pushover either. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if he needed to.

“And what are yours, Oscar?” Nikolás turned and walked to stand in front of Oscar. He looked down on the man and repeated, “What are yours?”

“As I told you when you took me in. What else is there?” Oscar shrugged knowing that he was going to have to dig deeper. The next part was the lie that he had used and one that even his handler was reluctant to use. He looked Nikolás in the eye and added as he narrowed his eyes, “And because I was betrayed by a dead man.”

Nikolás nodded, “A dead man?”

“You know him as El Despiadado, but the world knows him as Odysseus.” Oscar crossed his legs at the knee. Better to appear like he was not in trouble. The more you played to what you were as your cover, the more others were inclined to disregard anything said against you. It wasn’t foolproof, but it was a start.

Nikolás nodded, “True. He was a ruthless one. And yet he was clever in how he got people to follow him.”

“He betrayed me. He left me to die at the hands of the Americans.”

Nikolás nodded again. He had heard the story and had it checked out. Oscar had been left to the mercy of the Americans and in the end, he had been set free, dumped out in the middle of nowhere. The man showed up on his doorstep, full of anger. There was no mistaken that he was loyal. Maybe he would like to have a moment of revenge.

“You know this, Nikolás. It doesn’t explain why you sent your men to capture me like I was a traitor. I would never betray you.” Oscar said that with a tongue in cheek. He had a mission and part of that was to convince the man in front of him that his loyalty wasn’t to be questioned. “If my decision to avoid capture was a test, then it was a very poor one.” He narrowed his eyes in anger.

“And I apologize. I apologize that Hector hit you over the head. I know he doesn’t like you.” Nikolás gave an apologetic smile, “but I had to be sure of your loyalty. I know that you didn’t have information beforehand when I sent my men after you and yet you reacted like you expected it.”

“One has to be vigilant. I’ve been betrayed before.”

“Indeed.” Nikolás paced for a moment. He glanced at his son who was oblivious to the conversation as he played in the corner. Thank God there was such a thing as headphones and devices for music. He looked at Oscar. Hector had said he was trouble, but he wasn’t getting that. He was seeing a man that was disappointed that someone doubted him after loyal service. “Which is why I apologize. I have a plan, a business arrangement and I wanted to see how you would react.”

“I follow your orders, jefe.”

This was the moment of truth. Nikolás nodded and turned to look at Oscar, “I am planning a partnership with another cartel. Double on everything and could help us deal with our problems with the Michoacan cartel. The best part is that they are not from this country.”

“Really?” Oscar gave an appropriate raise of his brow.

“Yes. I want you in charge, but I need to know If you will be able to be professional about it.” Nikolás paused to gauge Oscar’s reaction. He continued, “It is with the Menendez cartel.”

****

“You look good.”

Torres gave a wry glance at David as she checked to make sure she had everything before leaving. “Flatterer,” she gave him.

David shrugged as he leaned against the doorway. His daughters had already left for school and he had to get to HQ. There was talk about a potential mission coming up and he needed to oversee and make sure the logistics officer was up to speed. That was the thing with the SEALs. They had to be ready to go at a moment’s notice except when they were being rotated in their deployment.

David watched as Torres straightened out her jacket sleeves. It was the one that had the three-quarter sleeves that revealed her arms that appeared delicate but had more deadly power within them than meets the eye. It also gave a good view of the very faint scar on her left from what she said was a training accident. It was only partially the truth, but he knew better than to press.

The jacket went well with the casual slacks and shirt she was wearing. David couldn’t resist coming up being her when her back was to him and wrap his arms around her waist in a hug. He rested his head on her shoulder and murmured, “You have everything. Mone.”

Torres hummed as she smiled, leaning into his embrace. She maneuvered her head to look at him and replied, “I know. And now you’re mussing everything.”

David growled at that and gave her a kiss, “Looks better this way.”

Torres smirked but accepted the kiss. She turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. “But someone has to look presentable and it sure isn’t you.” She grinned as she kissed him. Pulling back, she hung her arms around his neck and looked up at him. “You’re a nice accessory.”

“An accessory?” David was bemused as he raised his brow. He studied her and matched her smile with one of his own. He thought about it for a little but before adding, “Well I did make you look good with President Bosworth.”

“Oh, I did that on my own, but you are sweet.” Torres smiled as she patted his cheek. She stepped away and picked up the briefcase that held her tablet and a few other things she used. “I’ll see you in briefing.” She paused at the door.

David turned and put his hands in his pockets of his ACUs. He studied her, taking in her appearance. He long accepted that she was a bit shy about her relationship. It was more of a bolster to his ego that he was her first, but he wasn’t one to take it for granted. Plus, he didn’t want to get on the bad side of her brothers. He had met them and while they expressed a liking, they also made it clear what would happen if he hurt her.

Looking at her he said, “I know. Love you.”

Torres smiled at him. “I love you.”

It was a sort of routine in that they never went in to work at the same time and never left at the same time. It was a means of keeping their relationship on the down low and with the general, it was better to make it seem that way. Time away from ops was their own and even then, it was done with some care. David could brazenly say that he didn’t care about his career and it was partially true since he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but it wouldn’t do them both any good if he was careless.

David watched her leave with a smile on his face before going to collect his gear. He had few things to check on before briefing. In the meantime, Torres drove herself to the main building. She had received a text that morning from Spectre that she had something urgent she wanted to speak to her about. Torres had frowned at that since she didn’t know that Spectre was stateside.

Most communication was done, predetermined for a date, time and place. The spontaneous ones were ones that needed to be paid attention to. When Torres received the text message, she studied it. It looked like one of those messages that called for a friendly visit and a get together. Used to them, she knew that Spectre had something important for her and she wasn’t going to ignore it.

Working at JSOC HQ put Torres on the frontlines of counterterrorism. She never considered the possibility since she was Secret Service. It was a far cry from sister agencies that handled that sort of thing. After the whole thing with Menendez, it opened doors, but she was still called on occasion to the Hill. More or less it was to see the president after her relocation since Menendez’ video incited riots and in one instance setting fire to the White House. There was still recovery and trying to bring back law and order to the country and around the world. It was tough times.

Torres greeted people she passed with a smile and a nod as she headed to where she worked. It wasn’t too much different from when she worked at the Treasury. She had an office and a junior officer that reported to her. He was young and eager to prove himself. He was really good with technology and they had a few interesting discussions. She had him working on cracking the Celerium worm in between assignments more for personal reasons and to try and prevent what happened with Menendez from happening again.

Her assistant was out when she entered her office. Not unusual, but the fact that there hadn’t been a person in sight when she got to this part of the building had her raise her brow. She smirked a little as she turned towards the window, “When you said let’s meet up, I was thinking more of your surprises in briefing.”

Spectre turned from where she had been looking out the window at the men training. She looked at Torres and smiled tiredly as she replied, “Oh I still intend on that. But I need to speak with you first. And in private.”

Torres nodded in agreement, “Hence why my sector is empty, and I thought I saw a couple of your guys in the hall.” She studied Spectre. She hadn’t failed to notice how tired the woman looked. No doubt she caught a red eye to get here. It must be very important for Spectre to just up and do that. Taking a step forward she continued, “So, what has you here in on a red eye?”

Spectre looked at Torres and did what she did best. She deflected, “How are things between you and Section?”

Torres gave a wry look to indicate that she didn’t like the deflection, but she was polite about it. It told her that Spectre had wrestled with this and it could affect her. She took a breath and replied, “Things have been good. Just trying to make the ‘spy’ and soldier thing work.”

Spectre smiled at that, “Not an easy thing. I am still amazed how Soap and I managed it. I like to think that it’s because he trusted me and my judgment despite the fact I told him multiple times it was a recipe for disaster.”

“Still think that?”

“Yes,” Spectre replied pointedly, “But there are always exceptions to the rule. I have a knack for finding them.” She gave a smile that had a bit if her mischievousness in it.

Torres couldn’t help but do the same. She moved to sit on top of her desk and said, “Yeah you do. I still wonder why you picked me.”

They shared a laugh. It did what it was intended to do: play catch up and create an atmosphere that was less tense. It belied that it was serious, but the amicability kept it from being too grim. It allowed Spectre to get down to business, “I know that the world has continued to turn despite other things, but some things… Well… they’re still in the forefront.”

Torres frowned a little, “Menendez?”

“Yes.”

“But… all we have is riots and…” Torres was confused. She looked at her mentor and asked, “What is it then?”

“It’s about you, Simone.”

Torres paused and thought about it. The pieces began to click, and she looked wide-eyed at Spectre, “You said that no one…”

“No one on our side,” Spectre replied as she raised her hands to calm Simone down. She sighed, “I didn’t want to tell you, but…”

“What?”

Spectre looked at Torres to find that she was looking at her with a firm look. It said that she would be angry later. Right now, she was going to listen. It encouraged Spectre to continue, “I’ve been keeping an eye on Menendez’ assets as a drug cartel lord. That includes his legal affairs, which he tidied up pretty well.”

Torres rolled her eyes at that and made a sound, “Sounds like him considering that he had been a step ahead of us and it would have been worse if it hadn’t been for you.”

Spectre nodded, not really agreeing, but acknowledging. The next part was hard, “Menendez’ drug operation is still in play. He left orders to keep it running and we suspect that it was the means of supplying the funds for his operations. With a little maneuvering, I got ahold of his legal maneuverings. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to get someone to get close and we uncovered a few things. One of them concerns you.”

Torres saw the hesitation in Spectre’s eyes. She was a little impatient, but she wasn’t going to rush. It occurred to her that it took a lot of thought for her to get to this point and it was still bothering her. She pressed gently, “I figured. Spit it out, Spectre.”

“According to the last will and testament of one Raul Menendez… he left all of his operations to you, his goddaughter.” Spectre looked at Torres with a bland look as she evaluated the reaction.

Torres had never wanted to think about the fact that her father had gotten their family involved with Menendez in order to protect them. She knew that he must had agonized over it. It also gave her time to think about how her mother used to act around her and when her father talked to her in private. It left a wound and one she wasn’t sure how to address with her brothers. Now, it seemed that she was going to have to address it and it would be involved in a plan that Spectre had in mind. It made her grateful that she brought it to her first and in private.

Looking at Spectre, Torres took a breath and said, “Give me the deets.”

Spectre looked at Torres with a piercing look. She stared for about a minute before nodding. She picked up the briefcase that she had brought and put it on Torres’ desk. This was going to take a while.


	5. Chapter 4

“You must have a sixth sense or something, Section. You always seem to know when we might be shipping out.”

David grinned as he looked over the listing that the logistics officer was overseeing. He joked, “Well like the boy scouts, always be prepared. Right Jeffries?”

Petty Officer Alana Jefferies smirked at David and cried, “Bull shit, Section.”

“Hey, always gotta think ahead.” David grinned at Jefferies as she continued looked at the specs. She was good at her job in making sure that they had their equipment together. She had a way of securing even specialized items within a timeframe that was too good to be true. “And it’s not like you can’t work your magic, Bazaar.”

Jefferies scowled at the nickname she had been saddled with. It was only because on one deployment that she had been able to bargain for use of some equipment. It was unconventional, but they needed it. The payment wasn’t overly bad, but it saddled her with a nickname that she couldn’t shake. She then joked, “Well it’s better than being called Aladdin or something like that.”

David chuckled, “True.”

Jefferies ran a few more items on her checklist. She glanced at David and asked, “So… how’s the family?”

“Things are good.”

Jefferies nodded and accepted that. She long suspected that there was something going on between the team leader and the intelligence operative attached to the team. It was like a known secret on the team. She didn’t have a problem with it. She remembered what it was like when the commander lost his wife; it had been a low point.

When the intelligence officer codenamed Sombra came into the picture, things changed. Jefferies liked it especially after meeting her. She was impressed at the level of professionalism they exhibited. It became more of like the team’s effort at protecting it. She was certain that the general was aware, but the man was like a closed book.

“Thanks.”

Jefferies was pulled out of her musings and turned to see David looked at her. She frowned, uncertain at what he meant. “What?”

“I know what you and the guys have been doing.” David stared pointedly at Jefferies. “Thanks.”

Jefferies nodded back. Not much had to be said. “Hey, we’re a team. Family even.” She checked her watch, “Just ten minutes to get to briefing. And we’re good here for the most part.”

David looked at everything and nodded. He gave a look at Jefferies, “See ya there, Jefferies.” He paused by the door and turned with a grin on his face, “Oh, and Harper might have a new one for you.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Jefferies replied with a grin as she propped the clipboard on her hip. She gave a gesture like a mother shooing a child out of the kitchen, making David laugh. She added, “I did get a request for an MWD and a certain dog was cleared by the general.”

David mock groaned at that as he left. It had been an up in the air proposal in recent weeks. There was no doubt that MWDs were valuable assets for teams. They came in all different forms depending on the need. They were used in Afghan to detect IEDs and other related chemicals. The multiple tactics dogs were the best since they were trained to go just about anywhere and do anything.

General Hendrix was the first to suggest the dog that adopted Torres be added to the team. He was already trained and since Torres was on the team, it wouldn’t be farfetched to have her train with the handlers and the dog for ops. David, doing his job offered token opposition citing the dog’s retirement and that Torres was not military but a civilian.

It had also been a discussion between him and Torres when they were alone in bed or just talking after the girls went to bed. Torres didn’t see a problem with it and in honesty, David didn’t either. His beef was merely competition with the dog, a good natured one since they got along. From what Jefferies was saying, it looked like it was going to be official and David wasn’t sure how it was going to play out with everything.

Walking down the hall, he could see his team heading in. He couldn’t see Torres though and figured that she was already in there. She varied her arrival times to evade suspicion. That was fine since he did the same unless they contrived to meet and walk in and even then, they played it off as a coincidence. Heading towards the room, he paused when a hand was placed on his shoulder and reacted.

“Oye there mate,” Jackson nearly shouted as he raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t need another black eye. And from a friendly no less.”

David chuckled, “And nothing you haven’t deserved, Jacks.”

“Now that really hurt, mate,” Jackson countered, placing a hand over his heart as if he had been wounded. He grinned to show that he wasn’t overly upset about the almost run in with David’s fist. “Of course, I’m just the FNG to you buggers.”

David grinned and slapped Jackson’s shoulder. “More than that in most things, Jacks.”

They were standing outside the room, depositing their cell phones. The room was SCIF conditions and considering the nature of their operations, it wasn’t uncommon. David looked at the British operative that had become a reliable asset and friend to the team. He owed the man for saving his life. He was the one that took out the tango that would have blown his head off with the whole Menendez operation and he was the one that kept FOB Spectre from falling. That all went back to the friend and sort of boss that they had.

Jackson looked at the Yank that he had liked the moment they met. He never thought things would end up this way when he had been approached by the woman who claimed she worked for Spectre. She interviewed him along with a few others from his unit. Next thing he knew, he was reassigned to Credenhill and given a formal introduction and assigned to one of, he had no idea how many teams, that worked under SP. He made a name more from his reputation as being a devil’s breath and earned his designation within SP and because of a few antics with his new team.

Now he was assigned to David’s SEAL team and he was actually enjoying it. The job was the same. Certain things were different based on country of origin. What mattered is that they were fighting for the same thing; they had the same goals and that was to put the terrorists away and keep the world safe. Looking at David, he grinned, “Hey, we’re all on the same team, mate. By the way, a certain friend says hello.”

David watched as Jackson went into the room. He suppressed a sigh before going in. No doubt this briefing was going to be a mission with SP in charge. That meant a little more leeway in terms of what they could do but they were still under a chain of command. He had a pretty good idea that Spectre was in the house since Jackson would not have said what he did if she wasn’t. It made him want to see how General Hendrix would react to the operative that was known for making grown men cry and mold them into some modicum of decency.

Making sure his phone was in the container, he entered the room to see most of the team in there. His gaze immediately went to the front where he noticed his longtime friend standing in a corner. Next to her was one of her guards, but it wasn’t her usual. This guy was tall, silent, brood and gave the clear impression that if you tried to ask him a question you could fuck off. If you messed with him, he would probably kick your ass and rub your nose in it. David knew this type of guy and when they were on your side, they were the best to have. This was going to be interesting.

David didn’t approach Spectre but gave a slight nod and took his seat next to Harper. Crosby and Jackson were there as well as a couple of new faces assigned to the team. All were SEALs and handpicked. He knew who had a hand in that. Well, he thought he knew. They proved their mettle on the ops they were together on.

The door opened and in walked the general followed by Torres. The clicking of nails on the floor told David that JSOC was with her. He rolled his eyes slightly when the dog crossed behind him and took a spot next to David with a low rumble in his throat. Torres took her customary seat, not batting an eye at JSOC’s behavior. He didn’t react either except to give the dog an ear rub. His fingers brushed hers when she did the same thing allowing a brief moment of contact before she put her hands folded on the table.

David leaned back in his seat. Normally, if there were brass around, there would be salutes all around. Even though Hendrix was a by the book commander, he was relaxed enough to allow some leeway. It was a lesson of learning to take a little and give a little on both sides. Besides they dealt in black ops. They did things that were not seen.

“Good morning everyone,” General Hendrix said looking at his men. “To start things off, orders came through and we have an MWD assigned to the team which will be handled by Sombra.”

There were some murmurs. Torres was popular and well-liked by the team. Even though she was a civilian, she had roughed it out with them when she deployed with them and they all knew what she did for them and for the president. She had put more than one man from them and other teams on the mat in sparring. The latest only meant that she would be going more on deployments and they liked the idea of it and having an MWD would help too.

Hendrix looked around and everyone settled down. He turned towards his guests in the corner, standing there and nodded before turning towards the team. “We’ve received a call from an undercover agent with actionable intel. Agent Walker.” He gestured towards the corner.

David frowned and raised his brow slightly as he looked at his friend. He could tell that it was serious. She looked tired meaning that she flew all night to get there to deliver it in person rather than getting on the horn. He didn’t miss the glance his friend gave towards Torres and the return nod. He didn’t say anything since he long learned that with Spectre all answers will be revealed. At least the ones relevant to the mission.

“Alright,” Spectre said, becoming the serious, not missing a beat at being called by her designation with the Agency. “As part of getting back on track with the riots, we have been monitoring our borders, particularly in the south. For decades the cartels of Mexico have been a serious problem, the obvious being that they have more clout than the federales.

“As of now, there are several cartels of interest, but one has been on a rise. It is an offshoot of the Michoacán family cartel run by this man.”

The table lit up to reveal the image of the cartel leader. David looked at the image and then glanced at Spectre. His gut was telling him that something was coming, and he might not like it. He turned to look back and listened.

“Meet Nicolás Castellano de Huerta,” Spectre continued, “Member of La Familia Michoacán. Rose up in the ranks and started his own cartel operating in Michoacán.” She tapped the keyboard and other images and data appeared. “His drug dealings are like an open secret but legally there is nothing to hold him. Most of his funding is through legitimate businesses and in terms of getting local cooperation…”

“He’s like a Mexican Robin Hood,” Harper muttered out loud.

“Exactly,” Spectre replied, not missing a beat. “Like most cartels, their contributions back to the communities make it hard to remove them. Operating in poor areas gains a lot of loyalty and a supply of foot soldiers.”

“So, what are we doing?” David leaned forward and gave a pointed look.

“We’ve had a DEA agent undercover for two years gathering intel. At 0400 hours yesterday, we received a transmission from our agent telling us about a meeting. The meeting is between another cartel and de Huerta.”

“And this is our concern, how?” Harper looked at Spectre trying to see where the point to this was.

“The cartel he is meeting with is the Menendez cartel.” Spectre looked at the team surrounding the table, waiting for their reaction.

“But Menendez is dead.”

David raised his brow as he thought about what he just heard. Word would have gotten out that Menendez was dead. He saw the video on social media that stated that it had been scheduled to play upon his death and called for Cordis Dei to rise up. It then occurred to him and he voiced, “The cartel is still in play.”

“Yes,” Spectre affirmed, “We managed to seize the business and give the impression that it is still in play. No drugs are actually being moved but the impression is there. Again, legitimate businesses.” She looked at the team and continued, “With de Huerta pushing for a meeting, it is suggesting that he’s going to make a power play. The La Familia cartel has been losing ground over the last few years. The other cartels are in a state of panic and are willing to go to war.”

“And how will merging with the Menendez cartel involve us? The guy’s dead.”

Spectre looked at Harper and then the rest of the team. “Because de Huerta knows that Menendez’ heir runs the show.”

“And who is that?”

“Me.”

****

“David, don’t be like this.”

David paced the length of the office as he tried to process his thoughts and the mission that his team would be going on. He glanced over near the door to see Torres looking at him. She was standing there with a pensive, almost sad expression and he cursed himself for acting this way.

It had been a bit of a shock to hear that Menendez left her his operations. The legitimate ones at least. The worst part was the fact that Spectre kept it from them. She knew better than anyone how Torres felt about the whole thing. Then to hear that his team was being tapped to take out de Huerta, but they were putting Torres in undercover…

“I didn’t know about it until this morning,” Torres said as she watched the man that she cared for and admired pace, agitated.

“Good ole Spectre. Telling you when it’s convenient. For her,” David snorted as he turned to look out the window.

“And you know that it’s not like that,” Torres countered. She took a step forward, glad that they took this out of sight of the others. “She didn’t fly over here on a red eye just to make it another mission. You know what she’s about.”

David placed his forearm on the glass and leaned against the window, looking out. He pressed his forehead to his arm and sighed, “Trying to right the wrongs of Spectre.” He straightened up and turned to look at Torres, “But it involves you, Mone.”

“Not by my choice,” Torres replied with a slight swallow. She didn’t like it either, but she knew the stakes. “But it’s there. In the end, Papa did what he thought was right and it protected me and my brothers all these years.”

“It doesn’t mean that you have to get involved.”

“Spectre tapped me into SP. I have done undercover before.” Torres paused as she took a breath. She was surprised at how forceful she sounded. She didn’t want to get into a fight with him when he was only concerned about her. “It’s the job. Just like it’s your job to go in and do the things the rest of the world will never know about, but they are safer for it.”

David sighed, placing his hands on his hips. She was right and he knew it. He still didn’t understand the methods to Spectre’s madness at times, but he trusted it. He just didn’t like the fact that it was involving his girlfriend and on a personal level. “But this is going to that place that scares you.”

Torres glanced downward. He didn’t have to voice it, but she knew what he meant by that. He had been there with her the day she learned the truth and she partly used it as an excuse to hold out from getting closer. It took a sparring match to lay it all out and she said yes. Looking downward, she replied, “I know. And… I’ve thought about it. A lot.”

David studied her as she looked up at him. He knew that if he put his foot down and went to Hendrix, the man was going to ask him why. That would open up a can of worms that everyone was in willful ignorance about and really throw things for a loop. He pressed, “And you really want to do this?”

Torres shook her head slightly, “I don’t want to but…” She swallowed slightly and looked at David firmly in the eye, “It needs to be done.”

“And I get that.” David took a couple of steps forward. “Doesn’t mean that you have to be the one to do it.” He didn’t want to voice getting someone else since that would send another message entirely. Yet, he was digging a hole by not saying it but leaving it implied. He added almost hastily, “And I don’t mean that you’re incapable. I know you are. Saved my ass.”

“Then why are you against it? Aside from the fact that the operation was given to me by my godfather.” Torres stared full on, trying not to blink. David had given her reasonable reasons why she shouldn’t. Some centered on her and her wellbeing. She wanted to know what else.

David realized what she was getting at. It was almost like when he was working up the courage to ask her out and he had a hard time coming out and saying it. He knew he gave the sound reasons. She was after what he really was concerned about. It made him feel like a cornered animal at times since he was raised not to reveal too much on feelings. She wasn’t raised the same and expected honesty, even if it was something more feminine like sharing feelings.

He also knew that if he didn’t answer, she would be like a dog with a bone. Harper joked that it was like her call sign. She was a shadow and stuck to you. Knowing that, he sucked it up and took a breath before replying in a low tone, “I… am afraid, Mone.”

Torres watched David’s expression and her features became pensive as she stepped closer and reached out and placed her hand in the crook of his arm. Her fingers flexed slightly, but she didn’t move them. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t. She sensed that he had more that he wanted to say and if she said anything, it wouldn’t come out.

David was hesitant to say more, but he knew he had to get it out. He glanced down at her hand as her fingertips twitched at his elbow. He covered her fingers with his own and squeezed them gently. He looked at her and repeated, “I’m afraid of losing you, Mone. You are the best thing to come into my life. I love you.”

Torres looked up at David. She could see the vulnerability and worry in his eyes. Most of the time, he hid his feelings. On this job, you had to. You had to go in without letting your emotions getting the better for you. It could make an op go sideways and ways that would be totally wrong. The fact that he was allowing himself to feel and show it said a lot. She remembered the first time he said ‘I love you’. She didn’t expect it much like when he asked her out and they were sparring. Yet, it gave her the warm and fuzzies and she was able to admit the same.

David took a breath as he watched her. She was still squeezing his elbow in a comforting gesture. He studied her. He continued, “I know it’s the job, but I just want you to know that apart from your brothers, there is someone that cares. I mean… well…” He struggled to figure out what to say and he was coming up blank.

Torres noticed and she put a hand on his mouth to stop him, “I know, David. I love you too.” She gave a smile and took a breath. “David… it’ll be okay. We are all trained and knowing you, you’d probably have more than one contingency to go with Spectre’s idea of contingency.”

David knew that there would be no way out of this. It was going down no mater what. The benefit was that she was on his team. They all trusted each other and knew the drill. He also knew that Spectre would have a few elements in place. He couldn’t help but be worried since undercover held a certain amount of risk. “I know.”

Torres looked up at David and took his other hand with hers. She squeezed it and intertwined her fingers with his. She chuckled slightly and at David’s inquisitive look, she said, “Just thinking. What if Hendrix saw this?”

“Probably stare at us, then tell me that he would see me in his office.”

“Then?”

“I’d go and get the biggest ass chewing on the planet.” David looked away, trying to hide the fact that he was worried at that possibility. “Then Spectre would be forced to reassign you.” He looked at her. “And then I wouldn’t see you again.”

Torres sobered but still managed to give a smile. “And I would find a way to see you. Including sneaking in through a window, late at night.” She grinned and couldn’t resist letting a giggle out. “At least you don’t have a dog or over protective roommates.”

David growled a little at that, “You still like reminding me about that huh?”

“Still funny.”

David stared at her, trying to be stern, but couldn’t. It came out as a chuckle and the tension in the room lessened. She laughed with him and it allowed him to engulf her hands in his and intertwine their fingers. He knew that he was going to have to relent. This was a mission after all. “Okay. So, I guess we better get the deets from Spectre.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Torres leaned forward and gave a gentle peck on his lips. She smiled as she pulled back. She squeezed his hands one last time before stepping back. She moved towards the door. She paused when she had it opened and turned towards him to add, “Look at it this way, I have the two best men on the job and one can crush a limb with his jaws.”

David rolled his eyes and made a slight sound as he followed her. “Right. I know one arm he wants to crush.”

“JSOC likes you.”

“As a chew toy.”

They looked at each other and shared a laugh. By the time they made it to where Spectre was waiting, it looked like they were just chatting about nothing. It was business as usual between them even though they both were apprehensive about the upcoming undercover and capture/kill mission. David made a mental note to speak with logistics to include a few more things if it were possible. He wasn’t willing to take too many chances with the life of the woman that challenged him and encouraged him to be better, not just on the job, but as a person.


End file.
